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'Hand of God' Pablo Castaldi's graphic novel on legendary Argentinian footballer Diego Maradona is displayed at the XXXI International Book Fair of Bogota, Colombia on April 18 (AFP/Raul Arboleda)

A graphic novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction for the first time on Tuesday, with Nick Drnaso's novel "Sabrina" in contention for the prestigious award.

The US cartoonist was among the 13 authors longlisted for the prize which markets itself as the leading literary award in the English-speaking world.

He is up against Michael Ondaatje, longlisted just weeks after he won the Golden Booker -- a one-off accolade to mark the prize's 50th anniversary -- for his 1992 award joint-winner "The English Patient".

The Canadian's seventh novel, "Warlight", is on a list featuring four debut works and four authors under the age of 30.

Six longlisted writers were from Britain, three are from the United States and there are two each from Ireland and Canada.

Seven of the 13 authors are women.

"Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the times, there were many dystopian fictions on our bookshelf -- and many novels we found inspirational as well as disturbing," said philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah, who chairs the five-strong judging panel.

"Some of those we have chosen for this longlist feel urgent and topical, others might have been admired and enjoyed in any year.